Kite construction



July 6, 1965 R. L. WILLIAMSON KITE GONSTRUCT ION '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 8, 1963 FIG. 3

34 IN VEN TOR.

ROGER L. WILLIAMSON BY W/W HIS ATTORNEY July 6, 1965 R. L. WILLlAMSON3,193,224

KITE CONSTRUCTION Filed March 8, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROGER L.WlLLIAMSON HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,193,224 EGNSTRUETIGNRoger L. Williamson, 2377' East 3595 South, Salt Lake Qity, Utah FiledNiel. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 263,771 1 Claim. (Ci. asa -res The presentinvention relates to kite constructions and, more particularly, to a newand improved box kite construction which is of a collapsible type,easily manipulated for flight condition, versatile in night in the trimmeans provided, inexpensive to manufacture, and which may be collapsedsuch that the same, when collapsed, will require a minimum space forstorage or packaging.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a foldableor collapsible box kite construction.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a box kiteconstruction having appropriate, resilient trim means for regulatingkite orientation with respect to line direction so that wind liftthereof may be controlled automatically.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a box kiteconstruction of a collapsible nature wherein a collapsible,umbrella-type of construction will be utilized at opposite ends of thekite to facilitate easy manipulation of the same for true ilightcondition.

A further object of the invention is to provid a box kite constructionwherein umbrella-type collars are easily fabricated and appropriatelymodified for light-weight kite constructions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a box kite constructionwherein appropriate detent means is supplied for counteracting opposingforces of radial thrust of the umbrella sections of the kite.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel areset forth with particularity in the appended claim. The presentinvention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a box kite construction according tothe present invention, shown therein in true flight condition.

FIGURE 2 is a Side elevation of the box kite construction of FIGURE 1,where-in the box kite is shown partially collapsed.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the box kite of FIG- URES 1 and 2wherein the same has been fully collapsed and the sails thereof securedtogether as by rubber bands.

FIGURE 4A is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the arcuate line4A4A in FIGURE 1, illustrating the umbrella-type collar constructionwhich is used in the present invention at two places.

FIGURE 43 is an enlarged detail, taken along the line 4-B-4B in FIGURE2, of the structure of FIGURE 4A when the same is in locked condition byvirtue of the detent incorporated, so that the kite construction can bedisposed and be retained in true flight condition.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail taken along the areaate line 5-5 inFIGURE 1, illustrating the hinged connection of the outwardly extending,lateral brace members of the construct-ion to their respective cornerpoles.

FIGURE 6 is a View similar to FIGURE 2 but illustrates a secondembodiment of the invention wherein the direction of collapsing of thetwo umbrella sections is the reverse of that shown in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary section of the structure of FIGURE 2 at itsmedial area, illustrating a modification of the invention wherein thecollars of the kite construction are fixed to the center pole, of thekite, and

the latter comprises a telescoping component including a self-containedde-tent which, as shown in FIGURE 7, is disposed in its detent actioncondition so as to retain the kite in true flight condition.

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section of the structure, and similar toFIGURE 7, when the same has been collapsed so that the detent isdisposed within one of the telescoping sections of the center pole.

In FIGURE 1 the box kite construction It? is shown to include aplurality of corner poles 11 which are mutually collapsible together andwhich accommodate sails 13 and 14, secured thereto as by an adhesive,the latter being of cloth, paper or plastic, and preferably beingenclosed, two in number, and peripherally containing the corner poles11. The sails are, of course, collapsible and, as indicated in FIGURE 3,may be completely collapsed and the ends of the construction retained incollapsed condition by rubber bands 15 and 16. Returning to FIGURE 1, itis seen that there will be included a center pole 17 which is disposedmedially with respect to theseveral corner poles i1 and which centrallypass through (or are afixed to) collars 18 and 19 of the construction.As illustrated in FIGURE 43, the collars 1% and 19 may be ofsubstantially identical construction, having central aperture 29accommodating center pole I7, and also having longitudinal slots 21disposed upon. each of the four sides 22, and transverse, alignedrecesses 23 disposed about the periphery thereof.

A plurality of outwardly extending, lateral brace members 24 have theirouter extremities 25 secured to the respective corner poles Ill in ahinged-type connection. This is facilitated by elongate strips 26 and27, the former being secured to the end 23 and side 29 0f brace member24 and the latter simply secured to the remaining side 30 of bracemember 2 3. Both of the elongate strips 27 and 23, for each of thejunctions of the respective brace members 24 and corner poles 11, may heidentical, with the elongate strips 26 and 27 simply being gummed tape,merely by way of example.

As to the lateral brace members 24, FIGURE 43 illustratcs that the samepreferably includes notches 31 on one side thereof and rounded corners32 on the remaining side thereof, with the latter being disposed againstthe center pole 17 (or the base of slot 21), and with the notches 31 andrecesses 23 being aligned so as to accommodate the placement of a taut,elongate circular means 32, such as a rubber band or thread, to completethe umbrella-type hinge connection of collars lit; and 19. FIGURES 4Aand 4B illustrate this construction,

The umbrella sections A and B of the kite construction may besubstantially identical; the detent as at 34 is to secure the structurein open flight condition against compression, and hence reverse forcesproduced, in the brace members 24 by virtue of the taut condition ofsails l3 and 14. One suitable detent is illustrated in F-IG URE 43 bythe split, center pole detent finger 34 which may be collapsed againstthe rest of center pole 17 so as to proceed through central aperture 2%of collar 19 and travel on the opposite side thereof as illustrated inFIGURE 2. When the kite construction is being erected, then the collar19 in FIGURE 2 will be slid outwardly upon center pole 17 so that thedetent may be activated as seen in FIGURE 4B.

In FIGURE 6, a second embodiment of the invention, is shown wherein,instead of the collapsing of the kite construct-ion being accomplishedby an inward, mutual movement of the collars 13 and 1-9 as in FIGURE 2,the collapsing thereof is accomplished by an outward movement of collars18 and H. In FIGURE 2, it is desired that the collar 18 be securelyaflixed as by gluing for example to the center pole 17, whereas thecollar 19 supplied with a detent finger 37.

a 3 will be slideably disposed upon center pole 17 and be adapted toslide back and forth. In FIGURE 6 the same structural conditions willhold true, notwithstanding the fact that the detent in the form ofdepressible fingers 34', of center pole 17 is now disposed such that amovement together of the collars 18 and 19 produces a locking of thedetent by detent finger 34 engaging collar 19, for true flight conditionas illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate yet another embodiment of the inventionwherein a center pole 17' includes telescoping members 35 and 36, theinnermost member being In such event, the collars 13 and 19 may beafiixed to the respective telescoping members 35 and 36, whereas thepole may simply be extended outwardly so as to accomplish the out wardthrusting of lateral brace members 24, for true flight condition of thestructure.

In all of the embodiments illustrated, it will be noted that theumbrella-type construction that both halves A and B of the kitefacilitate an easy erection of the kite to flight condition and,correspondingly, afford very small packaging of the box kite for storageor shipment. 7

In connection with the box kite, an interesting and very usefulconstruction is shown in FIGURE 1, in connection with the elongate line38 in FIGURE 1 and which is shown in fragmentary view, and theresilient, trim elongate connector 39 which spans the juncture betweenthe bottommost corner pole 11 and elongate connector line 38. Forconvenience, the resilient trim means 39 may be of rubber and may beknotted at .40 to elongate line 3-8 and secured in place by tape 41 torod 11 so as to be retained in place.

The purpose for the resilient trim means or elongate connector 39 is asfollows. For a given wind velocity the kite will achieve a particularorientation with respect to the horizontal and also the kite string orline 38. If the velocity of the wind were to increase, then the lift onthe kite might prove to be excessive, tending to damage the kite orbreak the string, for example. This is compensated for by an automaticlengthening of the resilient trim 39 so that the kite will achieve amore horizontal condition. lift on the kite, by consideration of forcevectors, will be reduced, the tension on the kite string will bereduced, and the kite structure itself will be insured to be free fromexcessive wind damage. The resilient trim 39 has proven to serve as anautomatic corrector of kite orientation so that wind velocity may beautomatically compensated for. This has proved very useful and helpful,as shown in experimental work.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious Where such takes eifect thcnl the tothose skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and,therefore, the aim in the appended claim is to cover all such changesand modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of thisinvention.

I claim:

, A box kite construction including, in combination, a plurality ofparallel, corner poles, sail means affixed to said corner poles, acenter pole disposed medially with in said corner poles, a pair of setsof outwardly extending, lateral brace members having outer extremitieshingedly affixed to said corner poles, respectively, and a pair ofcollar means hingedly. receiving and securing, respectively, theremaining extremities of said sets of lateral brace members inrespective umbrella-type connections, said corner poles, center. pole,lateral brace members, and sail means being so constructed and arrangedthat the altering of relative disposition ofsaid collars in onedirection, as delimited by the size of said sail means, extends saidlateral brace members and the said corner poles to which they areafiixed outwardly so as to render in open condition said sail means, andthat, subsequently, the altering of relative disposition of said collarsin a reverse direction collapses said lateral members and, consequently,said corner poles and sail means, said center pole being provided withdetent means for releasably iretaining said sail means in open conditionwhen desired, and wherein each of said collars has a central aperturereceiving said center pole and a plurality of side slots receiving saidremaining extremities of the respective sets of said lateral bracemembers, said remaining extremities being provided with respectivenotches on their outer sides, and with rounded corners on theirremaining sides, the latter fitting into said slots, each of saidcollars being provided with exterior, transverse, mutually alignedrecesses arranged in a transverse peripheral pattern with each other'and aligned with said notches of said lateral brace members, and taut,elongate means respectively circumferentially disposed in said notchesof said lateral brace member sets and said recesses in'said collars,respectively, for hingedly retaining 'said remaining extremities of saidlateral brace members to and within said slots of said FERGUS S.MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

